Instamojo vs Shopify

Updated November 2026 · AppBreakup editorial

Instamojo

Indian online store builder with built-in payment gateway, payment links and shipping for small sellers.

Free plan + paid

Visit Instamojo Instamojo profile

Shopify

The leading hosted ecommerce platform, with themes, checkout, POS and a huge app store.

Paid

Visit Shopify Shopify profile

The short answer

Instamojo suits small Indian sellers who want a free store, a built-in rupee payment gateway, payment links and shipping in one account, paying a cut per sale instead of a monthly fee. Shopify suits merchants who want a scalable hosted store with a strong checkout, point of sale and a huge app ecosystem, and who accept monthly plan fees and paid apps.

Instamojo or Shopify: our take

The two platforms charge in opposite ways. Instamojo's Lite plan costs ₹0/year, but the free and Starter plans take 5% + ₹3 per sale, and digital products carry an even higher fee; paid yearly plans lower that cut and add a custom domain, more themes and no Instamojo branding. Shopify has no free plan, only a 3-day trial, then monthly or yearly plan fees, extra transaction fees if you use a third-party payment provider, and paid apps for features some rivals include.

Instamojo is built around selling in India. Its payment gateway is included, so there is nothing separate to sign up for, and it takes UPI, cards, netbanking and wallets. Payment links can be shared on WhatsApp or Instagram, shipping across India includes doorstep pickup, and cash on delivery works even on the free plan. It also handles digital downloads, courses, workshops and event tickets. The flip side is that it prices in rupees and is a poor fit for brands selling mainly to customers abroad.

Shopify is the broader platform. Its checkout, including Shop Pay, is fast and widely trusted, its app store lists 21,000+ apps and it offers 200+ pre-built themes. Built-in POS covers physical shops, sales channels reach marketplaces and social platforms, and larger brands can move to Shopify Plus or build custom storefronts with Hydrogen and the APIs. Deep checkout customisation, though, is reserved for higher plans. Both are managed from the web and from iOS and Android apps.

A new Indian seller testing demand, selling through WhatsApp and Instagram, or offering workshops and tickets will get going faster and cheaper on Instamojo. A brand expecting meaningful volume, selling internationally, running physical retail too, or wanting to add features through apps will usually be better served by Shopify, where the fixed monthly cost matters less as sales grow.

Choose Instamojo if…

Indian small sellers who want a store, payment links and shipping in one rupee-priced account
You want a free option (Shopify is paid only)
Free plan includes a working store with cash on delivery and shipping integrations
Payment gateway is built in, so there is no separate gateway to sign up for

Choose Shopify if…

Most merchants who want a reliable hosted store that can grow from first sale to enterprise
Fast, trusted checkout with Shop Pay
Largest ecommerce app and theme ecosystem

What is Instamojo?

Instamojo is an Indian platform for small businesses and D2C brands that want to sell online without stitching together separate tools. You get a hosted online store or single landing page, a built-in payment gateway that takes UPI, cards, netbanking and wallets, payment links you can share on WhatsApp or Instagram, and shipping across India with doorstep pickup. Sellers use it for physical products, digital downloads, courses, workshops and event tickets. The entry plan costs nothing per year but takes a higher cut of each sale; paid yearly plans add a custom domain, more themes, no Instamojo branding and a lower transaction fee, and there is a done-for-you setup option. It is aimed squarely at sellers in India and prices in rupees, so it is less useful for brands selling mainly abroad. Stores are managed from the web and from Android and iOS apps.

What is Shopify?

Shopify is a hosted platform for running an online store, and for many sellers the default starting point. You choose a theme, add products and connect payments, and Shopify handles hosting, security, checkout and updates. Its strengths are the checkout, including Shop Pay, a vast app store for nearly any feature, built-in point of sale for physical shops, and sales channels for marketplaces and social platforms. Larger brands move to Shopify Plus, and developers can build custom storefronts with its Hydrogen framework and APIs. The costs add up: monthly plan fees, extra transaction fees if you use a third-party payment provider, and paid apps for features some rivals include. Customising checkout and deeper logic needs higher plans or developers. Plans are billed monthly or yearly in local currency after a short trial. It runs in the browser with iOS and Android apps for managing the store.

Side by side

Attribute	Instamojo	Shopify
Pricing	Free plan + paid	Paid
Open source	No	No
Self-hostable	No	No
Platforms	Web, Android, iOS	Web, iOS, Android
Best for	Indian small sellers who want a store, payment links and shipping in one rupee-priced account	Most merchants who want a reliable hosted store that can grow from first sale to enterprise
Status	Active	Active

Verified facts, compared

Facts both apps publish, checked on each vendor's own site.

Fact	Instamojo	Shopify
Free trial	No	3 days